PHOTO, SURFACE, INTERFACE AND INFORMATION AESTHETIC
In this part of the Site and Motion module of my MA in Architecture and Digital media at the University of Westminster, there was a digital production investigation by exploring information
technology and the notion of interface, it’s relationship to architecture and spatial opportunities it might provide.
To achieve this was via exploring 2D interactive animation and as a form of interface. The questions we asked were “What if surface could function as a living systems and allow computation
to vanish”. Through understanding of design of a wide range of mobile, wearable, networked, distributed and context-aware devices you the attempt was to design an event – a proposal for interactive surface controlled by a computer, used by an group (social) and operated by an interface.

With the rise of various online technologies and the so called web 2.0, we are in the process of generating
digital identities. These identities can be refered to as self projections..the digital “mirror” image of ourselves. Inevitably, one raises the question of difference between projective self and the real self. This further leads on to how we may communicate in your environments using the image as an interface
and how these environments can be explored spatially and the relation of body to spatial projection
and your interface.
Current technological advances in web 2.0 and our interaction with them are very much limited to what we think of as a screen. The questions arise from what are the effects if these interfaces were transformed into spacial opportunities and how we may interact with them. With the rise of mobile platforms and RFID technologies (google or wiki it) location tagging, information about us has never been more trackable. We should be wondering how these technologies can be utilised further beyond the cliché of surveillance but rather as spatial opportunities for architects.

From Photographic Workshop:
Confrontation of the necessarily limited frame of the photographic image with the seemingly boundless quality of the space of weather.

This confrontation aims to question the integrity, or appearance of integrity of the photographic image. It is also an attempt at a constructed, larger space, a space related to a common understanding of weather and therefore a social envelope.

Weather ThemeFirst weather experience on campus: grey skies. Windy afternoon and rain… I began my concept by thinking how to line up compositions. It was quite a foggy afternoon, and the campus scene was soaked in water, there was dampness and wind.
What does water and wind have in common besides being essential composition elements of weather…Movement. Wind can move water enhancing the texture of the ground and surfaces, making them look soft and light, and water in turn, flows from wind.
Thinking of movement, I looked at people and water . I glanced at individuals stepping out in the courtyard and it was as every movement began with one person and then the rest followed. I found an interaction between human activity and behaviour in relation to the effect weather elements enclose.
Respectively, water made the wet surfaces appear as if they were fabric and bendable when people were moving, and it seemed as if it was flowing with them.
To represent movement I walked around the courtyard, taking shots from different points and levels, but always focusing my camera straight. It reminded me of the most simple 3d drawing with its vanishing point and all the activity happening or all the objects taking place within the boundary of that point. Then, when the photographs are placed together, the contrast between the different levels and spaces, are obvious as in terms of showing the movement from a certain point to the other and the specific still position of the camera.
Moving at the back side of the campus, I took some shots of plants. I liked the way they moved to the rhythm of the wind. I remembered studying mathematics at school, algorithms, physics, lines with their equation to form a curve, matrices etc. I thought what if the simple things in life, like the blowing of wind and the effect it has on the movement of these plants could be explained in a complex equation or mathematical code. It is very daring, yes, but still there is this mystery to it that makes it yet more interesting.
Concurrently movement as in terms of the flow of weather elements, change of levels, and people around the campus, also to relates to the rhythm of the plans caused by wind. There is certainly a common behaviour between these factors that is worth examined. And there is no explanation of why and how, weather elements affect our movement and behaviour besides the, obvious for everyone fact, that affects our mood. But how about the way we move? And what about our perception of movement? How and why does weather influence what we see and how we reach for something? Do we move like the plants under wind? Change our rhythm and direction like the wind affects those plants? Is our flow of movement within the wet surfaces same as the leave’s flow under wind…?
Hm……

Extracted text from concept…. ’I remembered studying mathematics at school, algorithms, physics, lines with their equation to form a curve, matrices etc. I thought what if the simple things in life, like the blowing of wind and the effect it has on the movement of these plants could be explained in a complex equation or mathematical code. It is very daring, yes, but still there is this mystery to it that makes it yet more interesting.’…‘Do we move like the plants under wind? Change our rhythm and direction like the wind affects those plants?’

I was not sure weather Iwanted or not to upload this video…this is because it only shows some flash buttons ”flashing”. But then I thought how excited i was to make my first buttons in flash. Believe it or not creating buttons for the first time in flash was very confusing and time consuming. Especially when I was trying to learn and be productive at the same time. It was a headache. But the joy I had when I made the first button it is something I will always remember off. Now it sounds really weird…I know…And you might be wondering ”Is she mad”,”What is she talking about” OR WORSE ”Flash Buttons…haha…BIG Deal”….but yeah…that excitement when making that first button is the main reason why I m uploading this video….

Transformation of main portal Image to a vector line drawing and appearance of a grid which played an important role in developing this project. Initially the grid was behind the idea of representing various positions and levels which each one was a link to a scene and spatial information.

Keyboard is used to navigate through the map of the campus where the scenes with their animation are. It also represents the movement from scene to scene or in this case point to point. Is where the events take place and an understanding to the user of where to look at. The movement from point to point can happen in any way but instantly shows the flow which relates to the flow of water, the rythum of moving leaves due to wind.

Materialized surfaces
Wet shadows are on the surface as there have been brushstrokes. the reflections make a
contrast between the obviously improvised and appear as if the brushstrokes swift way of
applying the paint, as confirmed by the look of tiny splashes surrounding.
Pictorial surfaces are materialized through the surfaces of things as well as through the
properties of them. I look at this from the point that they speak, to form an acting
subject. But while being pictorial subjects, they are also the surfaces of actual things
because of the natural parts of shadows or darkness lurking behind and beneath them.

INTERACTIVE CHESS BOARD : 2nd Portal to the other scenes of the animation.

The proposal is an interactive chess board. I came across this idea when watching tv..saw these people playng outdoors chess…i found that it exactly represents movement. And the movement is not random. The user(s) moves the objects to a specific position within that boundary of space. The space is a grid by its self. Also the chess board is a link to other scenes of the animation. When the user plays at a position, that position is highlighted and when clicking on it , it will then lead to a scene. There will be a contact sensor attached bellow chessboard surface which will be activated once the user steps on that area

The user(s) moves on the chessboard,existing are the images of the scenes projected on the surrounding
campus buildings. when playing on the ‘‘scene portal position’’, the position highlights and a vector appears
indicating where (in which scene of other movement) it will lead. that reacting position is becoming a sensor. At the same time the chessboard becomes the main portal of movement navigation, and exploration of the local weather understanding and conditions. The higlights oocured due contact sensor attached bellow the chessboard surface which will be activated once the use steps on that boundary.in turn the sensors activate leisers
(indicative vector lines)

You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be really something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and very broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!